It may be pretty hard for Apple to get away from the ruling that it has to state publicly on its website and in advertisements that Samsung didn't copy the iPad. An appeals court has ruled that the previous sentence should still be in place. The judges stated that, if Apple wasn't the one to clear up the confusion, the damage caused by the lawsuits all over Europe would be irreparable to Samsung.

Said the judges:

The acknowledgment must come from the horse's mouth. Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely.

The one thing the appeals court did change is that the web-based disclaimer doesn't need to take up a large amount of real estate on Apple's homepage, and instead a simple link to "Samsung/Apple judgment" will suffice. The link will be required to stay up for a one-month period. This is likely a nice respite for Apple, as the company already can't be too keen on saying nice things about a competitor it so ravenously dislikes.

At this point, Apple doesn't have much left in the way of getting out of this sentence. They can still appeal to the UK Supreme Court, but it's a little unclear if it would even hear the case, much less if it would offer a different opinion than the lower courts. Otherwise the company will be required to issue print ads in the Daily Mail, Financial Times, T3 Magazine as well as some other outlets, in addition to its UK website.

Samsung are winning more cases and more appeals. I saw the Samsung and I saw the Apple. It's clear to these judges as it is to me that they didn't copy Apple. When Samsung wins the US appeal, it'd be nice to see similar results.

mesmorino

You mean if they win. Between the patents office and the justice system (and the dumbest jury this side of Bella Swan) Samsung's chances aren't too great.

Andy_in_Indy

Samsung already won this case (Galaxy Tab vs. iPad) in the US. It was the iPhone patents that it lost.

Duncan Booth

The UK case wasn't about copying. In fact the Appeal court went so far as to stress in the judgement that it wasn't about copying. It was about whether or not Samsung had infringed the design patent, which they could have done even if they reached an infringing design completely independently. As it happens they don't infringe on Apple's design because of significant differences such as the presence of the Samsung logo on the front.

How refreshing to see that - in addition to the courts in Japan and Korea - that respect for reality and the truth do still exist. How sad that it takes a court to point out the obvious, but as Stalin said in so many words, "If you are going to tell a lie, make it a 'really, really big' one" (we invented the rectangle and the idea of a screen inside of one). Stalin's rationale being that if you make your lie SO big, so totally preposterous and absurd that people will find it almost impossible to believe you could be lying. I wonder who Steve's heros were?

Bleakvision

I don't get it. I own several Samsung products and I am willing to admit that Samsung has copied Apples iPhone. I have the og. Samsung Galaxy S which was also the most blatant rip off by far.

The notes app, the dock, The clock App, the music player, the icons, the squares that where put behind every app icon...all things Samsung added specifically to Android to make it more similar to the iPhone.

This ruling is shameful and gives Samsung a free pass. TouchWiz has changed a lot since then, but Samsung should not be rewarded for their previous behavior, neither should Apple be ridiculed in public for calling them out.

Well, it all doesn't matter anymore, I'm going to get the Optimus G and let Samsung taste their own medicine. Go Optimus UI!

mduran1023

If you'll take a closer look, you'll see that this ruling only applies to Samsung's Tablets, not their phones.

Also - good luck with that LG device. I'm glad you like the software it's coming with, 'cause it'll probably never be upgraded.

Wait and see, I think. LG seems to have learned a lesson, and hopefully speedy updates will be a lesson they learned. Anyway, I'm waiting for the Nexus, besides that CM would get the job done.

James

haa....buthurt isheep spotted trying to save the apple.

Bleakvision

No, you just witnessed an Andoid fan capable of pointing out negatives in our own ecosystem. We're a dying breed though.

ashlandT

note 2 < Optimus G

Eye4Detail

You should really read the source article. This isn't about copying, it's about infringement. There's a difference.

k2hsharpe

i've had a palm pilot and a palm treo, seems to me that almost all of the iphone was found in these 2 devices first. Advanced technology allowed the iphone to do it better, not apple inventions or innovations. Also seems to me that apple steals through patent abuse as much as it invents in the phone market. And you.are a right plonker!

Its human nature to take an idea and tweek it and make something new. Virtually every piece of technology is based on that from tv's, computers, even the microwave oven If you really think only the "first" of something should be, then you pretty much need to return every piece of tech you have.

Imran

youtube link to the ad when it is aired please

DCMAKER

oh sweet justice

Eye4Detail

Anyone with any interest in this case should read the BBC article in the source link. One of the quotes sums it up perfectly.

I am a long time Mac user since 1987. I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy Gio. Waiting for the package to arrive in the mail any day soon.

I find that Apple is really becoming everything they critisised Microsoft for being in the 90s. It is very ironic. If they really believed in their own products, they would just have let the products speak for themselves in stead of going to thermonuclear war. Apple didn't invent the tablet form factor and they didn't invent smart phones with touch screens with on-screen buttons in the shape of rounded rectangles. Yes, the products look similar and Samsung probably ripped off Apple's design, but so what? Nobody thinks that a Samsung Galaxy phone is an iPhone, if they know how to read the logos, even if the GUIs and the looks of the phones are very similar. Apple should rather focus on making something better and giving people more value for their money in their next product(s). It is just a waste of time and money for Apple (and the courts) to go to legal action all around the world. They are dragging their own brand down into a wasteland of thermonuclear winter.

Macuser W. Androidphone

They really deserve this smack on their fingers, I think.

On a Clear Day

There is a study from decades ago that stated that most companies that were run by charismatic leaders - once said leaders are gone - being an almost inevitable - if not inevitable - decline with the time line being about 48 months before the real winter of their downward spiral sets in.

Apple no longer has its "genius" at the helm, but it does have so much money it thinks it is the god of the smartphone and techno firmament and as such has a divine right right to rain down upon its enemies all manner of righteous lightning strikes in defense of its honor.

Well, fact is, history has shown that no matter how much money you may have or how much force you may choose to use to inflict an untrue idea, in the end might does not make you right and can only temporarily forestall your fall.